The ‘Queering’ of the Non-Orthodox Rabbinate

Is this the future of the non-Orthodox Jewish rabbinate? (JTA)

When I first heard the word queer used about gay people, I thought it was a terrible pejorative used by people insensitive to the struggles many have about their sexuality. It seems the opposite is now the case. That word used to mean odd, or peculiar. Now it is used with pride by the gay community itself. It is what the ‘Q’ stands for in the acronym LGBTQ.

I’m not sure why a word whose traditional definition is clearly not complimentary has become the popular label many gay people use to describe themselves. But that is, in fact, what has happened.

It is still rather shocking to me, though, when I see that word used in the context of the current trend in the non-Orthodox rabbinate. However, that people living a lifestyle that includes sexual behavior explicitly forbidden by the Torah are now seeking to be the spiritual guides of the Jewish people is even more shocking.

To be absolutely clear, let me repeat my oft-stated position on the matter of same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria. I absolutely reject the notion that anyone should be denigrated or ridiculed for predispositions they have little control over. They are all human beings created in the image of God. But who struggle with issues most of us take for granted.

Even if they act on impulses in ways that are a violation of Halacha, that does not mean they don’t deserve compassion and empathy for their struggles. After all, we all have our own personal struggles that - if acted upon - violate Halacha. And just as people with sexual or gender-identity challenges are not always successful in resisting forbidden temptations, neither are many of us not always successful in resisting our own individual forbidden temptations.

However, respecting the dignity of people who struggle to follow any given Halacha does not mean turning the struggle into a celebration. Or promoting a lifestyle that almost certainly includes serious violations of Halacha. 

The Torah, which is our foundational document, is very clear about what is and isn’t permitted. Attempts to redefine long-established precedent and clear interpretations of Torah law with twisted logic, for the sake of cultural assimilation and approval, undermine the very essence of a creed that mandates behavior regardless of changing societal norms. This is precisely what non-Orthodox denominations have done with Torah laws that do not align with the cultural mores of our time.

Religious doctrines across all religions have fallen out of favor by much of the public, giving rise to progressive values that have replaced them. As a result the following- reported in JTA - has occurred:

Among surveyed rabbis ordained before 2004, only 7% identified as LGBTQ+. The share rises to 15% for those ordained between 2005 and 2014, 29% for the 2015–2024 cohort, and 51% among current students

51%!

How did it get to be this way? Especially since not that long ago both being gay and being trans were considered aberrations.

I think it starts with the most influential medium of our day, the entertainment industry. They have worked hard to promote the LGBTQ agenda by inserting it into their product. Just about every scripted TV program has at least one gay character in it. And they almost always portray them as the most normal and idealistic character on the show. The one whose advice makes the most sense, whose ethics are the most admired, and the one who is the most loving and giving. They are set up as a role models.

I recall a prominent TV producer praising the entertainment industry for deliberately doing this. And it has worked. In many cases, the only encounter most people have with a gay or trans individual is through what they see on TV. What they see is role-model behavior. Not struggles with morality.

I know that TV viewership is down. Streaming has put a huge dent in their numbers. But those numbers are still huge even as they continue to slide.

Why are there now more gay people attracted to the non-Orthodox rabbinate than straight people? I don’t know exactly. But clearly the pool of openly gay applicants is now much larger.

I wonder, though, how the typical non-Orthodox but perhaps traditional Jewish family will react to this? Will they accept clergy that are married to members of the same sex? Or have transitioned for one sex to the other? It’s one thing to be tolerant and even celebrate diversity. But I’m not so sure how far that acceptance goes. I do not see families flocking to synagogues headed by rabbis who are openly married to members of the same sex, or who are transgender. While there has surely been a shift in how the typical American views gay and trans people, I do not believe that shift extends to viewing them as religious leaders. At least not yet. 

This is yet another blow to the future of American Jewry as it goes down the rabbit hole of eventual extinction.

Not that any of this affects what goes on in the Orthodox rabbinate. There is zero tolerance in Orthodox circles for ordaining openly gay or transgender Jews.

One can be gay and be ordained. No problem. But one cannot be an openly gay or trans rabbi who teaches and promotes following Halacha while at the same time openly living a lifestyle that surely includes serious violations of it.

That this is now the road being traveled by the heterodox rabbinate. Which places yet another nail in the coffin of their future. Living a gay lifestyle necessarily reduces birth rates. A gay male couple cannot conceive and give birth to their own children. The more gay married couples there are, the less children they will produce. That will result in negative population growth.

None of this applies to the Orthodox rabbinate. We remain traditional and abide by the values of the Torah. A formula that has worked for over 2,000 years. We are the only denomination that is growing. Our synagogues are increasing. New Shul are being opened all the time. Heterodox synagogues are shrinking. They are either combining or closing.

Not tooting my own Orthodox horn here. It is beyond sad that this is happening to the Jewish people. But it IS happening!

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